Dakar Update Week One

An update on the first week of the Dakar Rally, basically a rehash of my posts on the Nomad Racing Face Book page and my own FB page for those who haven't had a chance to stay in touch with the Rally....

Stage 1 - 2^nd January  Asuncion to Resistencia

Update on the Brits in the Dakar from Stage 1

5th - Sam Sunderland #14
51st - Lyndon Poskitt #100
98th - Max Hunt - #107
124th - Dave Watson #120
125th - Kurt Burroughs #156

Stage 2 - 3^rd January Resistencia to San Miguel De Tucuman

Today's route on the Dakar a total of 803km with 275km of special stage 😲

Good luck to Dave Watson, Kurt Burroughs and Lyndon Poskitt, keep it safe and steady lads

A bit of chopping and changing at the top of the Dakar leader board after Matthias Walkner, second on yesterday’s stage got relegated after receiving a 5 minute speeding penalty! Xavier De Soultrait had suffered a similar demotion after Stage One, despite setting the fastest time he then received a one minute speeding penalty.

Latest rankings after stage 2

1 - #1 Toby Price KTM (AUS) 03hr 07' 17"
2 - #17 Paulo Goncalves Honda (PRT) +2' 54"
3 - #14 Sam Sunderland KTM (GBR) + 3’ 23”
4. - #23 Xavier De Soultrait (FRA) + 3’ 41”
5. - #3 Pablo Quintanilla (CHL) +4’ 26”

So how are the Brits doing? Well Sam is obviously 4th overall but the full list is:

#14 Sam Sunderland KTM (GBR) +3’ 23” (4th overall)
#100 Lyndon Poskitt KTM (GBR) +29’ 46” (40th overall)
#107 Max Hunt Husqvarna(GBR) + 50’ 36” (68th overall)
#156 Kurt Burroughs KTM (GBR) + 1hr 13’ 39” (103rd overall)
#120 Dave Watson KTM (GBR) + 1hr 15’ 52” (107th overall)

And the other “competition within the competition” is the Malle Moto class for unsupported riders where Lyndon is doing well as well as an old favourite Manuel “Shoestring” Lucchese, so called due to his reputation for doing things on the cheap and usually at the last minute! This year seemed to be no exception after arriving in Paraguay with no accommodation but ending up being taken in by a local and finishing his bike build after it had arrived in South America!

1 – #47 Jose Kozac KTM (ARG) + 25’ 57” (36th overall)
2 – #100 Lyndon Poskitt KTM (GBR) + 29’ 46” (40th overall)
3 - #35 Robert Van Pelt Husqvarna (NLD) + 34’ 22” (45th overall)
4 - #117 Toomas Trisa Husqvarna (EST) +35’ 45” (49th overall)
5 - #39 Jurgen Van Den Goorbergh KTM (NLD) + 35’ 45” (50th overall)
6 - #54 Manuel Lucchese Yamaha (ITA) +43’ 47” (57th overall)

Lyndon Poskitt

Stage 3 - 4^th January San Miguel De Tucuman to San Salvador de Jujuy

Today's update on the Dakar...

Day 3 saw some big changes at the front after tricky navigation in the first stages caught out 2016 winner Toby Price who had been leading, whilst Joan Barreda Bort, known for his speed also demonstrated his mastery of the new more tricky navigation that had been promised by Dakar Sporting director Marc Coma. At the end of the day he was 4 minutes up on Price the top five for the stage were:

1. Joan Barrera Bort (Honda) ESP
2. Sam Sunderland (KTM) GBR
3 Pierre Alexandre Renet (Husqvarna) FRA
4 Pablo Quintanilla (Husqvarna) CHL
5. Pauli Goncalves (Honda) POR

Overall standings were

1. Joan Barrera Bort (Honda) ESP
2. Sam Sunderland (KTM) 
3. Pauli Goncalves (Honda) POR 
4. Pablo Quintanilla (Husqvarna) CHL
5. Toby Price (KTM) AUS

And the Brits?

Apart from Sam's excellent ride, Lyndon, Max, Dave and Karl all lost a little ground but all successfully finished the gruelling stage as follows (overall standings in brackets

60th Lyndon Poskitt (51st) 
82nd Max Hunt (78th)
108th Dave Watson (107th)
111th Karl Burroughs (110th)

Dave Watson

Stage 4 – 5^th January San Salvador de Jujuy to Tupiza

Stage 4 is currently underway and Price has made back some ground but Barrera Bort retains the overall lead at the moment.

Update: Big news breaking on stage 4 of the Dakar: Toby Price out with a broken femur after having retaken the overall lead from Joan Barreda Bort!

Dakar Rally update - Day 4

A day of drama and controversy! Toby Price was making great efforts in trying to take back the lead from Joan Barreda Bort only to crash late in the stage, breaking his femur.... a sad end to his race!

Ouch!

Barreda Bort had another good day, retaining his overall lead despite conceding the stage win to Matthias Walker.

However then everything changed when the Honda team were hit with one hour penalties for refuelling their bikes in an unauthorised zone.

This has dramatically changed the placing with Barreda Bort, Paulo Goncalves, Ricky Brabec and Michael Metge all being demoted from the top of the field as a result. Although curiously Goncalves doesn't seem to have received the full penalty only showing 48:20 in penalties on Dakar.com?

Honda has lodged an appeal but were apparently caught red handed so it is difficult to see what the basis of their argument will be?

Husqvarna rider Pablo Quintanilla has benefited from this situation, now taking the overall lead from Walkner by just over two minutes.

The leaderboard now looks like this:

1: Pablo Quintanilla Husqvarna (CHL)
2: Matthias Walker KTM (AUT)
3: Stefan Svitko KTM (SVK)
4: Sam Sunderland KTM (GBR)
5: Gerrard Farres Guell KTM (ESP)

10: Barreda Bort
16: Goncalves 
19: Brabec
22:Metge

And the Brits?

Sam is looking good holding on to his 4th place
Lyndon has increased his standing to 42nd overall despite a crash near the finish line, caught live on Bolivian TV!
Max Hunt improved to 68th place overall as did Dave Watson to 98th and Kurt Burroughs to 107th

A very hard stage with difficult navigation, high altitude and even snow at times!

Kurt Burroughs

Stage 5 – 6^th January Tupiza to Oruro

Another gruelling day at the Dakar on day 5. High altitude and difficult navigation featured again. Sam Sunderland kept his head though to win both the stage and take the overall lead, a first for a British rider.

Pauli Goncalves was second on the stage but this only managed to bag him 10th overall. It transpired he did receive a one hour penalty like the other Honda riders but was credited 12 minutes back for the time he spent helping Toby Price after his crash.

On the subject of the Honda penalty it appears that the sanction could have been a 3 Hour penalty but it was decided it was a genuine misunderstanding rather than a deliberate attempt to cheat. However rumour has it that both Sherco and KTM has lodged protests that the penalty was too lenient!

Results for the stage:

1.Sunderland
2. Goncalves 
3. Van Beveran
4. Guell
5. Walkner

Overall standings now:

1. Sunderland 
2. Quintanilla
3. Van Beveran
4. Guell
5. Walkner

The British riders are all still going with Max Hunt storming up the placing, now in 58th.

Lyndon Poskitt is 44th, Dave Watson 90th and Kurt Burroughs 98^th

Stage 6 – 7^th January Oruro to La Paz

Stage Cancelled

After the Special Stage on stage 5 being shortened (but still leaving a long, wet and cold) liaison to the Bivouac, torrential rain overnight left the course impassable leaving the organisers no choice but to cancel stage six. The whole Dakar circus travelled in convoy by road to the Bolivian capital La Paz, site of the rest day Bivouac. Hopefully the weather is improving and racing will be able to recommence tomorrow. At least everyone gets more time to recover and maintain their vehicles.